bickford



2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

( o Model.

J. L. BIGKFORD.

RAILWAY GATE.

Patented July 13, 1886.

N, PETERS, PholwLilhogrnphar, Washington, 0, c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

x J. L. BIGKPORD.

RAILWAY GATE.

Patented July 13, 86,

No. 345,568. r

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3o weather this water is liable to freeze and en- UNITED STATES PATENTOFFIC JOHN L. BICKFORD, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE COPELANDMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,568, dated July 13,1886. Application filed September 5, 1885. Serial No. 176,262. (Nomodel.) i

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. BIOKFORD, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovementin Railway-Gates; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to railway-gates, and is an improvement on thatclass of gates represented in Letters Patent Nos. 316,747 and 326,828,granted to the Copeland Manufacturing Company April 28, and September22,

1885, respectively. 7

The gate shown in the first patent is composed of pivoted bars connectedby chains or ropes at their upper ends, which chains or ropes extend toa drum in one of the posts, the chain upon the side opposite to that onwhich the drum is placed being carried under the track to the said drum.Power is applied to wind up the chains,and thus draw down the bars toclose the roadway. Counter-weights are provided upon the ends of thebars to lift the bars to an open position after the train has passed.Passing the chain beneath the tracks to the drum has been found to beobjectionable, for the reason that water running down the chains fillsup the channel through which the chain passes from one side of the trackto the drum upon the other,and in cold tirely stop the working of thegate. Again,in order to run the chain beneath the track, numerouspulleys were necessary in order to di rect the chain from its verticalposition to the horizontal position at right angles to the said verticalposition, a great deal of friction being caused thereby, in addition tothe strain upon the rope or chain.

The object of my invention is,primarily, to obviate these difficultiesby carrying the chains to the drum over the tracks of therailroad,instead of beneath them.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showingthe gate-barsdown. Fig.2 is an end view. Fig. 3 is a detail view, in section.

In the drawings I have represented my improvements as embodied in arailway-gate containing some of the features of the said patentsLThegate-bars a are preferably of,

' the other.

wood,and are secured to metal frames 1), which are pivoted uponsupporting-standards set in proper position on either side of therailroad and roadway. These frames b carry counterweights'c upon theirends, as shown, which may-be adjustable, if desired. From sockets in thesupporting-standards l 2 3 4, upright posts 01 d d d extend to asuitable height, being connected to each other in the direction of thegate-bars, and carrying devices for supporting the chains or ropesbetween the ends of the gate bars, whether raised or lowered. This isthe construction shown in the lastmentioned patent,No. 326,828,andfurther description herein is unnecessary.

' To the upper part of each of the posts d d an adjustable collar, 6, issecured, having a pulley, f, held between its ends, and this collar maybe adjusted to any angle by loosening the set-screw g. The chain" orrope on the same side of the track on which the drum is placed extendsfrom the standard 2 of its gatebar over a pulley on the end of said barthence to a pulley on the end of the bar opposite, and thence to thedrum through an opening in the inclosing standard or casing 1,in theordinary manner. Upon the opposite side of the railroad the rope orchain of the companion gate extends across the roadway' from thestandard 4, in the manner just described,to a pulley, J1, on thestandard 3 thence upward alongside the post d, over the pulley on thecollar e; thence across over the pulley on the opposite collar, andthence downward, enteringthe casing 1 through an opening in the rear ofthe drum, to which it is secured. It will be apparent that thisconstruction obviatesthe necessity for all underground connections, andremoves the rope or chains beyond every possibility of being affected,by the weather, while at the same time they are in a position accessiblefor repairs. The strain upon the posts is counteracted by braces z i,asshown. 7 V

In order to steady the posts (I d, I connect the ends, as shown in Fig.1, by a wire, rope, chain, or rod, k,as this is necessary where thedistance is great from one side of the tracks to To the center of thiswire is, I suspend a pulley, Z, and carry the rope or chain through it,thus guiding the chain and preventing all sagging. I have shown but oneof these pulleys; but it will be understood that more may be used,iffound necessary or desirable.

Instead of the chains shown,any flexible connecting medium may be used.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, agate consisting ofcounterweighted bars pivoted upon supportingstandards on opposite sidesof the roadway, and one side of the railway, the rope or chain attachedto one standard passing over a suitable pulley on the end of onegate-bar, and over a pulley on the end of the other bar, forming aconnection between the two gate-bars, a like gate with rope or chain onthe opposite side of the railway, posts having pulleys on their upperends, and a winding-drum on one side of the railway, one of the ropes orchains be ing arranged to pass over a pulley near the pivoted end of thebar, thence up and over the pulley on the top of the post, across to and1 over the pulley 0n the top of the post on the opposite side,and downto the drum, suhstantially as described.

2. In a railway-gate, the combination of gate-bars pivoted on standards,chains con' necting said gate-bars. posts extending from the standardsat one side of the roadway carrying supporting-pulleys, and aconnecting-wire for the top of said posts having a supporting devicesuspended therefrom, the chain of one set of bars passing over pulleyson the ends of the said bars to a pulley on the standard 3, thence toand over the pulleys on the upright posts and over the suspended pulley,and thence to the drum, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN L. BICKFORD.

Vitnesscs:

F. L. MIDDLETON, W. C. DUVALL.

